Date:08/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/08/stories/2008050858990300.htm

New Delhi

Motorists welcome Supreme Court order on penalty

Staff Reporter

Police fear it may lead to increase in traffic violations

NEW DELHI: With the recent Supreme Court order staying a Delhi High Court directive slapping a compounding fee of Rs.500 on all traffic offence challans in the Capital, the police fear that reverting to the old penalty regime could lead to an increase in traffic violations now.

“The traffic penalty rates are very high the world over vis-À-vis India and theoretically hefty fines do deter motorists from violating traffic rules. We have got the Supreme Court order and its implementation has also started. But it is too early to assess any visible change in the number of violations,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) S. N. Shrivastava on Wednesday.

However, defending the Supreme Court order, Mr. Shrivastava said: “As far as my understanding of the order goes, the Court has not ruled against the increase in fine but stayed the High Court order on legal grounds. It is the job of the Government to decide the penalty rate. The traffic police will, however, continue to work towards instilling discipline among motorists under the existing framework of the law.”

Hearing a petition which pointed out that the executive alone could decide on penalty for traffic violations, the Supreme Court had recently stayed the March 2007 judgment of the High Court directing the traffic police to slap an additional Rs.500 fine over and above the existing penalty.

With the new order now out, the old system of a minimum penalty of Rs.100 for driving without a seat belt or violating the stop line is in force again.

Motorists, however, have welcomed the Supreme Court order which they said would lessen the burden on the common man already caught in the whirlpool of escalating prices.